AZ Monster 300 Recap

It’s been a few weeks since my 2nd DNF experience, and with that comes a little perspective. With this race, things didn't go to plan, but I can honestly say: I have no regrets. 

When you choose to put it all out there, and step well outside your comfort zone, growth is inevitable. It may not show up in the form you expect, but it's waiting, stalking, ready to pounce when you are most vulnerable.

More to come on that...

In the days leading up to the AZ300, Paula and I scouted sections of the course and key aid stations. We soaked up the Arizona terrain, knowing it would soon test me. 

At package pickup I caught up with former running mates from Tahoe200 and the Divide200. We met up with ultra legend Catra Corbett for a nice chat, and had a few minutes with Destination Trail founder, Candice Burt. I also connected with people I'd been introduced to through the community on chats and shared some pleasantries and well wishes before we headed out on this next adventure.

I found camaraderie at the start line amongst other nervous runners. I also had a chance to meet Kerry Ward, a fellow ultra runner I’ve long admired. Chatting with him at the start line – just moments before go-time– felt surreal. His past stories helped fuel my own journey into endurance ultra-distances.

Pretty fulfilling few days and the race had yet to start!

Race report

Grab a coffee and settle in… and be happy I only went 120km!

AZ300 is a 309 mile endurance run from Superior to Patagonia in Arizona, loosely following the Arizona Trail. 

With 19 aid stations scattered and a 170 hrs cut off once the clock starts I needed a plan. The plan was to be smart. Tactically conservative. Respect the elements and the distance. Ahead of us, there would be challenges of multi-terrain (sand, rocks, pavement), climbs, descents, technical skills, wildlife, exposure to the elements, extreme heat (insert dramatic music), and of course, the hallucination inducing sleep deprivation.

You may ask 'WHY?' at this point. Well, I know I can do 200 miles, so this seemed like the next logical step. Logic, hmm.

I was taken with the idea as soon as I heard about it. In retrospect, if I was more familiar with the terrain, the deserts linking the mountainous parts, AND the 40 mile bike path... I may have reconsidered, but here we are.

Before I dive into the details about the actual run I want to give a few shout outs to the people who supported my idea of fun and got me to the Starting Line.

Thank you to all that followed along, gave encouragement and heartfelt notes. My Pancake running buddies and RUNClub family. Wayne Richardson from Runners Sole, who sent me off with shoes and nutrition and all of his support. My kids, Sophia and Dylan, who took care of Lola while we were away. Having so many people in my corner made it even harder to make the decision to drop. Extra special thank you and endless hugs for my wife, Paula Sword. My crew, my partner, my confidante. She was also a brave soul for accompanying me at all hours, by text and in-person.

It is said that "Humble pie is best served cold". The AZ300 delivered up a large piping hot slice!

Okay, let's head to the starting line – Superior, AZ.

Now a lot went right for me. From the get-go, I was prepared– mentally, physically, logistically. My drop bags were dialed. My pacing plan was solid but flexible. My headspace was strong. My foot care was on target thanks to my pre-taped toes.

What I didn’t account for was how fast the Arizona sun would turn against me.

Days leading up to race day, in fact, hours leading up to it, the temps looked pretty manageable. Low 70s scattered clouds, we even encountered a small shower en route to the start line.

I planned to start with pants based on the current weather and the evening forecast to come. 30 minutes prior to the start, the sun peeked through the clouds and it was warming up. So with that change, pants were off! 

With a staggered start, around 80 people started in each wave. 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm (my group) and the elites at 2:00pm.

We all took the oath: "If I get lost, hurt or die, it's my own damn fault!” at two minutes before our wave was to start. 

And just like my pants, we were off. 

Leg #1 - Start to Picket Post - 10.6km

Within the first 6km I could feel the heat and tried to pull back on what I thought was a chill pace. The calves had finally warmed up and stopped aching. "It's gonna be a good day!" crept into my head.

At 10km (1 hour and 20 minutes in) we arrived at the first of 19 aid stations - Picket Post. Right on target. Slightly ahead of schedule.

By now the sun was out in full. Not what I expected, but manageable. I filled 3 - 500ml flasks, had a few snacks and bagged up some oranges, applied some sunscreen. All the boxes on my list were checked off. 

With 3.5L of fluids, and my pack weighing in at approximately 13lb, I headed into the second leg. My ETA was 7 hours at a conservative pace.

Leg #2 - Picket Post to Gila River - 35.6km

The trail wound its way, with more ups than downs, into another canyon. At this point I started to catch the back of the wave #2 runners. Listening to my body, I made sure to fuel. Things were going as expected. Even though I could feel the sun and sweat on my brow, there was a light breeze that was almost cooling... almost. 

By 4pm—just three hours in—my stomach started to complain. I’d already gone through quite a few gels, so I hiked the climbs, shuffled my calorie intake, and tossed an electrolyte tab in my bottle to keep things steady.

The scenery was stunning—almost surprisingly so. I was swapping stories with runners, high-fiving thru-hikers on the AZ trail, and enjoying the moment. 

While my stomach still felt off and a little bloated I was feeling pretty okay with moving towards the next aid station. I figured the bloating was a result of drinking the electrolytes before the tabs had not fully dissolved. I continued to snack, as I plodded along. Still on track for time.

The sun was down by 7pm. With headlights on we began the long descent to Aid 2. Looking forward to cooler temps this was where I thought I could turn this stomach issue around. It was not hot out by any means, but I was heating up inside. An unfortunate side effect of the nausea that was building. 

Rolling into Gila River Aid Station #2, I had now caught up with the first wave. At this time we also had the 4th wave (elites) catching up too. This made things a bit chaotic. 

Volunteers were struggling to help waves of 10+ people at a time that were continuously pouring in. Warm food ran out quickly and unfortunately they had limited resources.

Gila River Aid Station was 46.2km in, no drop bags, 1 bucket toilet and limited menu, so you hoped you planned and packed well!

I took 30 minutes here to sit and let my stomach settle. Changed out my shirt for a dry one and even though I was overheating, I still managed to get a chill while sitting around for this short time. 

Changed socks, checked feet over, my taped up toes were holding up! That was a positive…Then I filled up a flask with ginger ale as well as drank a glass on the spot. I also refilled 1 water flask so I was leaving with 3L fluids for the next leg. There was no water available on the course so this was a MUST.

Before I headed out I managed to eat a cup of undercooked pasta with some sauce. There was nothing else available other than dollar store ramen which was not going to do it for me. I reviewed other offerings, mostly sweet stuff, and they held no appeal either. 

Leg 3 should have been my zone: night running, cooler temps, fewer people. But the nausea…

Up next: The almost breaking point. When nausea, heat and humility joined me on my run.